Gorkhaland movement enters the second week

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By Our Reporter
Nepali speaking community in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas has been taking to the street demanding creation of a separate province in the hills for the past 14 days.
The movement that was sparked due to a decision of the West Bengal Government to make Bangala a compulsory language in school curricula has received a political colour with wide support from the Nepali speaking community of Sikkim and Asom.
The agitating people have been taking rallies almost every day in Darjeeling and elsewhere. However, they had lifted the strike for 12 hours on the day of Ramadan on Monday for only the people of the Muslim community.
An indefinite period bandh called by the GJM that entered the 14th day on Wednesday, has affected vehicular movement in the hills.
Even on the 14th day of indefinite strike, there was no sign of its withdrawal by the party that has been fighting for the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state.
“With the participation of other parties in the hills, the movement is getting stronger. The support of the adjoining Sikkim towards the statehood movement has made the situation further complicated,” reported The Hindustan Times.
“Now, our one point target is Gorkhaland statehood. We will stop only after that is achieved,” GJM chief Bimal Gurung was quoted saying.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Benarjee has been trying her best to suppress the movement by mobiliising security forces.
She even announced to mobilise the Gorkha Regiments against the agitating hill people of Darjeeling.
But her effort to suppress the movement is likely to be futile. The GJM leaders have already announced not to sit for dialogues with the state government.
Although the people in Nepal have been showing sympathies to the agitating people of Darjeeling, the political parties and their leaders have been keeping mum over the suppression of Nepali speaking people of Darjeeling. They have neither supported nor opposed the ongoing movement though India has openly backed the Madhes-based parties when they launched a movement against the new constitution in Nepal in 2015. Still, the Indian establishment is supporting the movement of the Madhes-based parties.
Only the CPN-Maoist led by Netra Bikram Chand dared to oppose the suppression of people by demonstrating in front of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on Monday.